Vessel construction.



G. W. WATTS.

' VESSEL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE a, 1913.

,Patented Dec. 16,1913.`

2 SEHEN-SHEET 1'.

4 v am c, M101; george W 'Waits w/MQQO www G. W. WATTS. VESSELCONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAUNE 6, 1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1-913.'

- 2 SHEETS-.SHEET 2.

@Finally 85 tion; Fig. 2

MTED STATES PATENT ornron GEORGE WASHINGTON WATTS, or oNEoNTA, NEW Your;

viissilr. CNSTBCTIO."

Specication I Letters Patent.

'Patented Deje'. Q16, 1913.

Application mea nine 6,1915'. serial no. 772,139. q

To all twhom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Grosor W. Wires, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Oneonta, in the county ofOtsego and State of New York, have invented newand useful Improvements in Vessel Constructions, of

which the. following is a specification.

This invention relates to vessels such as boats and ships,.andparticularly to s ecially constructed pro elling mechanismt erefor.

In the propu sion of canal boats particularly, it has been foundimpractical to use self propelling means, due to the fact that the Washfrom the pro ellers has a. very decided tendency toward estroying theside Walls of the canal.

It is the object of'my invention to' overcome this objectionablefeature. by providing means for preventing the so called 2o wash fromacting directly against the side Walls of the canal.

A further object isto provide means for effectively supporting andpreventing vibration of the external portion of the'propeller shaftwithin its concavity in the under side nf the boat hull.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter, de-

scribed and claimed. l

In the accompanying drawings z'f-Figure l-is a fragmentarysideelevationlof a ship constructed in accordance with the invenis afragmentary front elevation,-showing the propeller shaft in transversesection; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a' portion of the propellershaft, showing a modified arrangement and combinatio'nf 40 propellers;Fig. 4 is a .fragmentary side elevation of a further modified form ofship construction; Fig. is a rear elevation of the same; and, Fi 6 is atransverse sec tional view taken t erethrough.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that I .have provided in thehull 1" of the ship a longitudinally disposed concavity 2 lhaving ratherabrupt side Walls 3 and more grdually, inclined front andi-"ear 4Walls 450r and 5, respectively,l so that the passage of water longitudinallythrough the concavity will be inappreciably, interrupted, whereas'lateral movement of the water therethrough,

Will-'beprevented.- The propeller shaft 6,-

which extends longitudinally through the ship and is connected to somesuitable source of power. (not shown) 'passes tlnough'the front and rearwalls 4 anu 5 ofthe concavity and is inclosed at these oints 'b"suitable water-tight packing plan' s 7 an e, respectively. he shipkesals "artiall'y out away within the concvit" '2 then base 'portionthereof being retalile to serve as stron herring means for theship''roper and urther has supporting means fdr the propeller shaft, 'there'`used. portion of.

preferablyv` the proand 12 areprovided with 'ournal boxes 15.- and 16,1n which theprope ler-.shaft rotates,-.

and suitable oil ducts 1 7 and 1 8, respectively, are provided in theupper portion Aof the bearing members and lead from suitably. dis posedoil cups (not shown) to said journal boxes 15 and 16, thus providingfor'theconstant lubrication of these bearings which are exposed to theaction of the waterat all' times.

The propeller hu' 19.215 :tt 19 in order-that an auxiliary prop'e c1320may be attached thereto'tv-hen' the occasion. demands. This provision isvmade t'oprovide additionalpropulsion means to.

increase the powerof tlieship when u se'd foriiavigation through openWater. In Fig. 3 I have shown .a plurality of 'rela-- tively spacedpropellers 2r-mounted upon A a propeller shaft.l 22toillustrateanarrangement of propellers which might be desirable'.4 In case apluralityof 'propellers werepro shaft 6 if so desired' may' beextended-through the stern of the ships vided'u on the exposedpor'tio ofthe pr'opeller s aft within .the concavity in'theun Yder side ofthe shipit would be necessary to provide bearing membersat convenient intervalsbetween the propeller i1 1 v order to efectually sustain the shaftfanprevent the vibration thereof. t,

From the foregoing descri tion it will be seen that, upon operation othe propeller as combined with the provided concavi-ty lendl strengthtothe construction as is Vnecessitated by the v'general conformation ofthe concavity In the Vremaining figures of the drawing,

a further' modification-.is shown, wherein the hull-23 of thel'vessel isprovided medi-- ally with-a.'- longitudinal channel 2li-within which thepropellers-f25' are mounted-upon the longitudinally extending crfnkshaft 2G journaled -nPthegbearings 27. The connectof connection-@with`fthe crank -shaft .26. through the vertically disposed water-tightcasing-29to`fits pointof attachmentv to the enginej-(not '.shown).Longitudinally extending keels -30 Vand 31 are disposed at each sideofthe channel 24 andrudders 32and 33 are -pivotally fconnected to the.rear ends vof the 'said keelsl The pivot rods. 34 and 35' of therudders;32 and133 extend upwardly to a suitable` positionabove the deckWhere they are' provided lwithl cranks 36 and 37.` A

transversely disposed connecting rod 38 has its extremitypivotallyconnected to the said crank and a'manuallyoperable tiller 39 is shownconnected.' me'diallyto the rod 38,

but it is to beu-nderstoodfthat any other desired means foroperating-the companion rudders maybe employed.'V

'Ihe exhaust-pipes 40. of the engine extend longitudinally with: respectto the channel 24 and are provided with branch pipes 41 which projectinto the said channel and have rearwardly projecting discharge nozzles42 disposed in front of the di'erent propellcrs for directing theexhaust Huid of the engine against -thelsame By this means, the exhaustis utilized to assist in the operation of the propellers.

As the channel 24 extends throughout the length ofthe vessel, thelongitudinal movement Qfawatenthroughthe' same will be un#obstructedgvzhereas;theikeels 30 and 31 will serve'ascheck-w'al-is'toovercome the lateral wash,-;.'as"shoiild be clearly apparent.

Fromr the foregoing description taken in connection with thelaccompanying drawin it should be apparent that I have providd severalmodied forms of Ship construction whose general features may e bodied inthe construction of canal boats and any other -form of boats or ships asis found desirable in practice. I desire to have it understood, however,that minor changes in the details of construction falling within thescope of the invention may be resorted to in4 ractice.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination with a vessels hull having a longitudinal concavityprovided in its under side formed by abrupt side ,walls and graduallyinclined front and rear walls, of a keel extension providediwithin theconcavity in spaced relation to the top wall thereof, means for bracingsaid keel extension within the concavity, a propeller shaft passinglongitudinally through said concavity, means for operating said shaftand a propeller wheel secured to said shaft- Within the concavity.

2. The combination with a vessels hull having a longitudinal concavityprovided in its under side formed by abrupt side walls and graduallyinclined front and rear walls,

of a. keel extension provided within the'con# cavity in spaced relationto the top wall thereof, means-for bracing said keel extension withinthe concavity, a propeller shaft I passing longitudinally through saidconcavity, means for operating said shaft, a propeller wheel secured tosaid shaft within the concavity, and additional bracing means for saidkeel extension having journal boxes for the reception-of the propellershaft.

3. The combination with a vessels hull having a longitudinal concavityprovided in its under side formed by abrupt side walls and graduallyinclined front and rear walls, of a keel extension provided within theconcavity in spaced relation to the top wall thereof, means for bracingsaid keel exten-` sion Within the concavity, a propeller shaft passinglongitudinally through said concavity, means for operating said shaft, apropeller wheel secured to said shaft within the concavity, andadditional bracing means for said keel extension having journal boxesfor the reception of the propeller shaft, said additional bracing meansbeing provided with means for admitting a lubricant to the shaftbearings carried thereby.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

GEORGE WASHINGTON WATTS.

Witnesses:

`EDWARD CRIPPEN,

LEWIS H. A'rwnm.. v

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, v- Washlngton,D. C.

